Fair Saint Louis 2015 to Return to Forest Park

As plans for Fair Saint Louis 2015 begin to take shape, representatives of the Fair Saint Louis Foundation and the City of St. Louis today announced that America’s Biggest Birthday Party will return to Forest Park for a second year. The 35th annual Fair St. Louis will take place Thursday, July 2 thru Saturday July 4, as the sweeping expanse of Art Hill again welcomes thousands of fairgoers for a three-day celebration of our nation’s independence.

Last year’s Fair Saint Louis marked the first time in more than 30 years that the festivities were held at a venue other than the Gateway Arch Grounds, as work underway on the transformation of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial forced Fair organizers to find an alternate location. The decision to stage the event in Forest Park proved to be a smart one, with an estimated 250,000 people gathering for what lived up to its billing as a Fair Like Never Before.

“Having surpassed all of our expectations during 2014 and having received rave reviews from attendees and nearby neighbors, Forest Park was the natural location choice for the 2015 festivities as work continues on the Gateway Arch Grounds,” noted Steve Pozaric, General Chairman of Fair Saint Louis 2015. As the Fair’s new General Chairman, Pozaric, a partner in Armstrong Teasdale’s Corporate Services Practice Group, succeeds Bob Ciapciak, partner at Edward Jones, who served as General Chairman for Fair Saint Louis 2014 and takes the mantel as Chairman of the Fair St. Louis Foundation in January 2015.

“The success of Fair Saint Louis 2014 was a direct result of the tireless efforts of our leadership team and more than 600 volunteers, who worked hand-in-hand with our wonderful partners at the City of St. Louis and Forest Park Forever,” noted Ciapciak. “The event truly demonstrated the spirit of civic collaboration that sets our city apart.”

The many entities collaborating this past year included the City of St. Louis, Forest Park Forever, the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, the St. Louis Streets Department, the St. Louis Police Department and the St. Louis Fire Department. Thanks to the Fair’s Transportation Partners – including Metro and MoDOT – a variety of transportation options were made available. The comprehensive transportation plan put in place made access to the Fair easy, and the park and traffic cleared quickly each night. Having clearly demonstrated that getting to and from the Fair was a breeze this past summer, and that ample parking options are available in and around the park, Fair organizers are prepared to welcome even greater crowds in 2015.

“Thanks to our terrific sponsors – including Anheuser-Busch, Edward Jones, Enterprise Holdings, Purina, Mercy, Ameren, Emerson, Maritz and many more – Fair St. Louis 2014 was able to offer an outstanding concert lineup and a host of other entertainment options,” noted Pozaric. “As we shift into high gear with the planning efforts for 2015, we look forward to the continued support of former and new sponsors as we work together to deliver another world-class event and continue the longstanding traditions Fair Saint Louis is known for – including the Veiled Prophet Parade and one of the biggest fireworks displays in America.

While the entertainment lineup for 2015 is still under development, Fair organizers confirmed that an air show will not be a part of the plans when Fair Saint Louis returns to Forest Park next year.
Noting the significant planning, resources and logistical effort required to deliver an airshow of the caliber fairgoers expect, Fair organizers noted that they intend to instead focus efforts and financial resources on delivering another outstanding entertainment lineup and on other operational modifications to continue to improve the event in this unique location.

For more information as the plans for 2015 take shape, visit www.fairsaintlouis.org.